97: Zorin - Town Of Rainbows (Patreon)

The journey of ten days may have been uneventful, but that didn’t mean it had been easy.

Hot desert days sapped Vir and Bumpy’s energy, but traveling at night posed its own issues. Bumpy’s degraded eyesight and uneven terrain gave them no choice. Vir had risked traveling at night before, but now realized how much of a risk he'd been taking back then.

When the desert heat finally gave way to rolling grasslands, and eventually, breezy coasts, Vir had rejoiced. While he and Neel had plenty of food, Bumpy’s hay had nearly run out, making the greenery a welcome sight.

The North Legion Mountains had dazzled Vir when he’d first laid eyes on them. He’d never seen such impressively tall mountains in his life, but that wasn’t saying much—he hadn’t seen any mountains. Hiranyan land was defined by its flatness, with the Dahan Steppe being the only elevated ground in the entire kingdom.

Even now, on the tenth day of southward travel, the snowcapped mountains continued to loom, majestic and imposing. To his left, they ran like a finger pointing north, with the range dividing the sliver of western Rani from its eastern counterpart.

To his right, the vast Runean ocean stretched out to the horizon and beyond. Either way he looked, dazzling views greeted him.

It was almost enough to forget the hunger. The tables had turned compared to the beginning of the trip. Now, Bumpy ate like a king while Vir rationed whatever he had for himself and Neel. The dried loaves of bread were long gone, leaving only a handful of nuts and dried berries.

Neel hadn’t caught anything for himself in days and the wild edibles Vir picked had done little to sate his appetite. The bandy kept wanting to jump off and run beside the Ash’va, but Vir stopped him. Expending energy like that would only burn through their food faster.

The frequent snowmelt runoff meant rivers and streams were common, so at least water hadn’t been an issue.

That was to say—it hadn’t been an issue for staying hydrated. Vir had to coax Bumpy to ford several rivers, making for some harrowing experiences. He’d had to detour several times to find a narrow, shallow spot to cross. But narrows meant faster currents, and that spooked the timid Ash’va, forcing Vir to dismount and lead him through, braving slippery smooth stones.

Only his agility had kept him from falling and being carried away by the current.

So while no pirates or highwaymen had bothered him, the journey had nonetheless been an arduous one, and Vir was glad to be nearly done with it. Another half day’s ride would put them at the coastal Ranian city. Another half day to the comfort of a pleasant inn with a hot bath and a soft bed.

For most of his life, such luxuries had never tempted Vir. Sleeping on the ground was normal. Going unwashed was expected. Riyan had spoiled him silly. Having experienced the grotto and comfortable beds, Vir doubted he’d ever be happy sleeping on dirt again. And despite the occasional river baths, he was sure he reeked.

Though monotonous, the days of travel had afforded Vir time to ruminate. About the dizzying array of events that had just unfolded. And about his own power. If his experience in the capital had proven anything, it was that one could never have enough power in this world.

While he’d mastered Empower, there was another Talent he coveted. One he’d lusted after for a long time. Blade Projection. But Vir had soon understood that Blade Projection wasn’t the Talent he ought to seek right now.

That was an advanced Talent. One that built off of a more basic ability. Prana Blade. The ability to wreath one’s blade in prana sounded more than just useful; it sounded deadly.

Vir located a good campsite for the night, just as the sun approached the horizon and the shadows became long. Trees had been nonexistent for most of the journey, but grew more numerous as they neared Zorin. The terrain was still largely sparse, but the occasional copse meant firewood was an option.

Using his legs to stomp down dead branches and his stolen knife to prepare them, he had a fire going in short order. While he couldn’t cook his dried food over the fire, it still helped to ward off the midnight chill. Rani’s climate was generally temperate and dry, but the nights could sometimes get chilly. That, and there was a mystical aspect to fire that helped soothe the nerves.

Bumpy appreciated it too, folding his legs beside the fire.

Vir laid out his bedroll in front of the Ash’va, leaning his back against the beast as he sat beside the fire, then reached into his fabric sack and stuffed a handful of cashews into his mouth.

Neel eyed him with big beady eyes. The bandy had already had his share, but if there was one truth in life, it was that bandies were never full. They’d simply eat and eat and grow themselves so fat they could barely walk. Neel, while not emaciated, had definitely lost a few pounds.

With a sigh, Vir tossed the remaining nuts to his friend. “That’s all the food we’ve got, Neel. Hope you appreciate that.”

The bandy was too busy chomping to pay his words any mind.

Vir’s eyes glazed over as the flames danced in front of him. Fire Affinity prana weaved together with its physical counterpart to create something beautiful. Something only he could see, and that made it precious.

He thought back to the experiments he’d run, seeking Prana Blade. None of his Talents had come easily, and this one was no exception. He’d tried to channel prana from the ground through his body, much as he did with Empower. He’d tried relaxing his control over Ash prana to allow the prana to shoot out of his hand, but the moment he did, he lost control of it. The prana dissipated harmlessly, and he simply couldn’t muster enough of it to cause any meaningful damage.

There was a missing piece here, but Vir didn’t know how to obtain it. Controlling prana outside of his body seemed impossible. He wondered how mejai did it. They somehow powered swords and armor with magic, but Vir wasn’t privy to the details. He’d need to witness a mejai perform that feat up close to learn more, and the one he’d been best friends with was now gone.

Even with the fire, the stars were bright here, and starlight serenely reflected off the ocean. There was no breeze, so the only sounds were the soft crackling of the fire and the crashing of distant ocean waves.

“Wonder what you’re doing right now, Maiya,” he muttered, running his fingers over the bracelet she’d fashioned for him. Neel perked up inquisitively at his words.

Where was she? Was she still completing her favor for Riyan? Vir could only hope she found the breadcrumbs he’d left for her. As the days passed, his desire to see her grew and grew. Like a hole in his heart. He missed her dearly.

Wonder if Ekanai and Shardul had people they cared about.

Vir guessed Shardul might have, but Ekanai? He really wanted to understand how that man had become so jaded. The demon’s life must have been a difficult one, full of pain and suffering.

Wonder if they’ll help me out now. He was making his way to the Ashen Realm, after all. Would they be happy with that? Would they even notice?

Vir understood little about how much awareness they possessed. If Ekanai could have controlled him continuously, Vir was sure the demon would’ve done so. And yet, his prior incarnations only seemed to come alive during times of extreme danger.

But to know that Vir was in danger, they had to be aware to some degree. He certainly hoped they were. He’d sleep easier at night knowing they had his back.

Would be nice if I could chat with them…

Eight months. Less than a year had passed since he’d left Brij, and yet more had happened in that time than the eight years prior.

Vir looked up at the stars.

So clear…

Because there was hardly any prana in the air to impede his vision. Even with Prana Vision flaring, there were hardly any motes up in the sky. It was a different story in the ocean. Water, Life, and a smattering of other affinities filled it.

There was another ocean within the ground. The Earth Affinity prana was perhaps slightly less than what it had been in Daha, but an ocean was an ocean.

Maiya would be hard pressed to use her orbs here, but Vir would have no trouble at all, and that gave him an edge.

With the heat of the dying embers and hot rocks under his back, Vir slept peacefully, lulled into slumber by the sound of distant waves.

— —

Vir hadn’t expected to be impressed by Zorin. It was a small coastal town on the very edge of the Rani Queendom. What could it have that Daha didn’t? And Saran was the first major city Vir had ever laid eyes on. What could beat the novelty of a first experience?

He was right in some ways. In others, he was wrong. They called Zorin the Town of Rainbow, and he’d wondered why. After all, this side of Rani wasn’t known for its rain.

Vir now understood why.

The town was an explosion of color. Its red brick buildings boasted tapestries of all colors and designs. Tile roofs were painted over in pinks, greens, blues, yellows, and reds. Wherever Vir looked, color burst.

If there was prana to support them, Vir was sure he’d have seen hot air balloons in just as many hues as well, flying above the city. As it was, the skies remained empty, and yet the city still felt more lively than Daha.

Everyone had said Hiranya was poor, and Vir thought he knew what a rich one would look like. Clean streets, a minimum of slums, and well-constructed buildings. Zorin had all of that, but Vir realized he’d been dead wrong on everything else. A single glance at the Rainbow Town showed him just how rich the Rani Queendom was.

The architecture might have set the tone, but it was the people that completed it. Not only was their clothing as colorful as their town, they wore designs Vir had never seen, chatting with one another and even strangers greeted him—that shocked Vir the most.

Zorinfolk bustled about contentedly. Some even outright smiled. People moved with a purpose. Empowered. Full of life that Dahans sorely lacked.

Where in Daha, most wore gray, brown, or black cloaks, here, women wore dresses of a thousand designs, while men sported vests, shirts, shorts, pants, and even kilts. Some bore intricate embroidery, while others kept their outfits basic.

Even those who dressed modestly looked good in a way Vir couldn’t place. Well considered, he decided. The clothing design, proportions, and color all matched in a way that pleased the eye.

The cobblestone roads, while not wide, were clean. They were neither crowded nor empty. Enough traffic bustled around to make the town feel lively, yet not to where it felt packed like Daha had.

It was all even more impressive when Vir remembered Zorin was even more remote than Saran had been from Daha. But if this was a backwater, he really wanted to know what the Rani capital Avi was like.

Once again, Vir felt like a country bumpkin as he rode in on Bumpy. He wondered whether each new city would make him feel this way, or if it was a Ranian thing. He hoped it was the latter.

Shaking himself out of his reverie, Vir remembered his priorities. Highest of which was weaponry. Right now, all he had were the two iron knives he’d swiped from Brij. He needed something better. Ideally, a katar. Given the town’s vibrancy, he held hope he just might find one of the exotic weapons here.

He’d intended to consult the convenient street signs placed at every intersection to find a reputable blacksmith, but the local population stepped in to help instead. A well-dressed man wearing a fine hat hailed him, asking if he needed directions.

Instead of telling him where to go, the man actually walked with Vir, all the way to an impressive looking two story brick building.

Just when Vir suspected the man would ask for payment in return, he’d bowed and left.

Guess people here really are that nice. It would take some getting used to.

Vir tied Bumpy up outside, commanding Neel to guard him. The two made a good pair and had long ago grown comfortable with the arrangement. Neel paced around, on the prowl for anyone who might dare lay their hands on his bigger cousin.

Then his eyes popped, and his jaw hit the floor. From wall to wall, racks of the most beautiful weapons Vir had ever laid eyes on greeted him.

Vir feared he’d be walking out with a much lighter coin bag.